Raiders (and Browns) score fastest in NFL (updated)

The Raiders, with Carson Palmer having success with the no-huddle offense, are tied for first in lowest average time of possession in scoring drives, at 3:05. Oakland is tied with Cleveland.

Oakland has scored in the last 2 minutes of first half in all seven games. They have 33 points in final 2 minutes and 35 in the first 28.

One of the big reasons for the early success of rookie quarterbacks Brandon Weeden (Cleveland), Ryan Tannehill (Miami) and Andrew Luck (Indianapolis) is their use of the no-huddle. They all used it in college. “When we get to the line quicker, we are able to assess the defense and get ourselves into a good play,” Tannehill said.

The Dolphins are third in lowest average time of possession in scoring drives at 3:13.

History lesson: The Raiders won the last two meetings between the teams since losing Super Bowl following 2002 season. Only three players remain from that Super Bowl: Tampa Bay S Ronde Barber and Oakland K Sebastian Janikowski and P Shane Lechler.

On Dec. 28, 2008, in the last game Jon Gruden coached with the Buccaneers, the Raiders rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to win 31-24. By winning, his former team eliminated Gruden and the Bucs from the NFC playoff chase and that led to Gruden’s dismissal. Michael Bush ran for 177 yards and two touchdowns and JaMarcus Russell threw two touchdown passes.